Article-traying unit



Feb. 17, 1953 Filed July 24, 1947 J; B. ALHINO 2,628,754

ARTICLE-TRAYING UNIT 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 343? 23 r 15 35 o\ I I 4 m H 4114/"W r/M -fjf'r :l

Mi l

3 'Jomv B. Ammo I NVENTOR AT T O'RNEY.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 J. B. ALHINO ARTICLE-TRAYING UNIT Feb. 17, 1953 FiledJul 24, 1947 Patented F eb. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEARTICLE-TRAYING UNIT John B. Albino, San Leandro, Calif.

Application July 24, 1947, Serial No. 763,358

operative can-traying unit of the character described which may bearranged for manual actuation at will and without requiring the use oftools.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in thefollowing description of a typical embodiment of the unit and in theaccompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a unit which is conditioned for the automatictraying of cans therewith.

Figure 2 is a left-side elevation of the structure and arrangement ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the unit as it is conditioned atthe end of a can-trayin operation thereof.

Figure 4; is a fragmentary section at the line 44 in Figure 3.

. Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken at the line 5-5 inFigure 1.

Figure 6 is a sectional elevation taken at the line 6 -6 in Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a sectional elevation taken at the line 1-4! in Figure 3.

1 Figure 8 is a'perspective view of a manually settable control elementof the unit.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary section taken at the line 9-9 in Figure 3.

,Figure 10 is an enlarged showing of the right side portion of a rampmember of the unit dis-.- posed as shown in Figure 6.

t Figure 11 is a section taken at the right end of the ramp member asshown in Figure 10.

Essentially, an article-traying unit l5 of my invention comprises asuitably supported bedplate lficarrying the mechanism of the unit andproviding a front tray-supporting plate I! and a transfer-plate I8extending from and along the rear edge of the plate I1. The transferplate I8 is arranged to receive from one side thereof cylin' dricalarticles comprising, in the present instance,

cans C having their bottoms resting on the plate for a sliding of thecans across the plate for an initial alignment of the received cansalong theplate and a subsequent forward movement of the cans into a trayT positioned upon the plate I];

the tray T is of a usual structure having a bottom T from which sidemembers T" and a connecting front member T extend, no rear side beingprovided. The lateral transfer of a completed line of cans from theplate I8 onto the tray bottom is arranged to be effected by reason oftheforward movement of an upright push plate l9 against the line ofpositioned cans on the plate E8 to push the latter onto the tray whilethe supply of cans is held back.

Cans may be supplied to the transfer plate 18 by any suitable meanswhich maintains the supply of cans in appropriate position for theirfeeding movement over the plate. In the present structure, a lipextension 18" of the plate It is cooperative with a continuous conveyorbelt -B- for receiving cans from the belt for movementtherefrom to thetransfer zone of the plate |8 when such movement is permitted; when aforward movement of the cans is prevented, the belt slides beneath theirbottoms to constantly urge a forward delivery of the line of cans.Appropriately spaced guide plates B extend from the conveyor assembly atopposite sides of the belt and the lip I8 for maintaining the feedingalignment of the supported cans while the same are either static ormoving.

Preferably, and as shown, the transfer plate l8 has its upper face I8offset upwardly from the upper face ll of the tray-supporting plate I!at the common line of the plates, the step thus provided having a heightwhich equals or exceeds the thickness of a tray bottom T. In

the present structure, the plates l1 and [8 are parts of a singlebed-plate member whereby the step between the upper plate faces I1 andI8 is defined at an upright shoulder 2| which is ar-' ranged to beengaged by the inner edge of a tray bottom as a positioning stop for thetray; the

arrangement is generally such that cans may be" pushed from the transferplate l8 onto a tray bottom T without tilting. For a reason which edges,and support legs l6" extend from the bedplate corners.

The push plate I9 is mounted on and between mutually parallel supportrods 22 of uniform cross-section and which are longitudinally slidablein complementary bores provided by tubular guideway members 23 supportedfrom the rear portion of the bedplate 16 on support blocks 24 fixed tothe bedplate. The forward ends of the guide members 23 are so spacedfrom the shoulder 2| that they permit .a disposal of the push plate [9in generally coplanar relation with the rearward guide plate B of theconveyor assembly. A handle 25 is provided for use in manually actuatingthe push plate 19; as particularly shown, the handle 25 comprises aU-shaped member having its ends downturned and fixed to the back of theplate [9, and having its intermediate portion 25 extending above the topof the plate in spaced parallel relation thereto for grasping by thehand of an operator positioned at the front of the unit forreciprocating the push plate to deliver a line of cans from the transferplate l8 upon a tray bottom T and for returning the plate to its initialposition. Stop collars 26 are adjustably mounted on the rear ends of therods 22 for limiting the forward movement of the push plate to thealignment of its working face with the shoulder 2|.

It will now be noted that the push plate !9 is provided with arearwardly extending member 27 at the end thereof nearest the receivingend of the transfer plate l8, and that said member comprises an armwhich is arranged to function as a stop or gate against a movement ofcans onto and along the plate while the push plate is disposed forwardlyof its position in which the disposal of cans in front of it may beeffected from the conveyor belt B or another source of cans to betrayed. The action of the member 27 is such that when the push plate l9has moved forwardly from its position of Figure l to its position ofFigure 3, the cans in front of it are pushed laterally from the transferplate 18 onto a tray bottom T while the next can in the supply line isengaged by the member 21 for holding back the supply of cans until thepush plate has been restored to its starting position. As particularlyshown, the stop, or gate, member 2! comprises an integral turned-backextension of: the push.

plate I9.

Means are provided for mechanically efiecting reciprocative cycles ofthe push plate I9. As particularly shown, a, crankshaft 28 is journalledin suitable bearings, provided rearwardly of, and at the level of, thepush plate It, and said crankshaft has its crankpin 29 connected to theplate I9 by a connecting rod 3| whereby each rotation of the shaft froma position in which the crankpin 29 is disposed in its rearmost positionwill efiect the previously described reciprocation cycle of the pushplate. The connecting rod 3| is releasably connected to the push plate19 at the rear thereof whereby when it is disconnected from the plate,the plate may be reciprocated by hand for the described purposes. In thepresent structure, mutually spaced and opposed ears 32 extend rearwardlyfrom the push plate I9 intermediately thereof and carry a wrist-pin 3.3between them with which a hook-shaped forward end 31 of the connectingrod 3! may be gravitally held and releasably engaged; in this manner thecrankshaft 28 may be rendered inoperative with respect. to the pushplate H9: at will and without requiring the use of any tools for makingor releasing the plate-operating connection provided by the connectingrod.

As particularly disclosed, actuations of the crankshaft 28 are arrangedto be effected by means of an electric motor 34 connected to one shaft'end through suitable reduction gearing housed in a casing 35, saidcasing and a standard 3% providing the bearing for the crank-shaft; themotor 36 and standard 36 are shown as mounted on a shelf 3! whichextends. from and between the rear support legs l6" for the bedplate l6.Recalling that the stroke of the push plate E9 is twice the throw of thecrank-pin 29, means are provided for so controlling the operation of themotor 34 that the push plate I9 is normally disposed in its rearmostposition and is reciprocated from and to such position betweenpredetermined periods of quiescence during which a line of cans may beprovided on the transfer plate I8 or a filled tray may be replaced by anempty tray.

A motor control switch 33 is provided on the bedplate IS in line with arow of cans C on the transfer plate is and provides a normally extendedpush pin 39 for axial displacement by the first can of a line of cansmoving along the transfer plate l8 to finally make contact for closingthe motor circuit. As particularly shown, the push pin 39 has aconically tapered tip 39 which is arranged for engagement by the leadingcan of a line of cans delivered upon the plate 18 to axially displacethe pin to a switch-closing position thereof for actuating the pushplate l9 in a cycle of fore-and-aft movement thereof. As indicated inFigure 1, the motor 34 is arranged to receive its actuating powerthrough a circuit including the switch 38 and from a supply switch 40which is mounted at a side point of the bedplate within ready reach ofan operator positioned in front of a mounted tray.

An arm 4! extends forwardly from the push plate l9 at the opposite endthereof from its gate member or arm 2?, and has its forward edgebevelled for a wedging engagement. with the pin tip 39' while the pushplate I9 is disposed forwardly of its normal position. As particularlyshown, the arm t! comprises a flat bar which is mounted on a rearwardvterminalextension 42 of the plate. [8, said arm being preferablyadjust.- able on the extension in a fore-and-aft. direction. In thepresent structure, the arm 41 carries a clamp bolt 4 which engagesthrough a longitudinal slot providedin the. extension 42, and the underedge of the arm 41. may rest on a. pin 45 extending beneath it from saidextension, When the nut 4d of the clamp bolt 44' is. loosened, the arm4| may be longitudinally adjusted on the extension and set in itsadjusted position.

The arrangement and relation of the push pin 39 and arm 4! is such thatwhen the leading can of an array on the transfer plate, I8 has pushedback the pin 39 for an engagement. of the can with the inner side 4! ofthe arm 4 I1 which faces it, the switch 38 then being closed, thesubsequent forward movement of the arm 4! by reason of the action of theenergized motor 34' to move the push plate l9 forwardly will wedgedlyand further displace the pin for the riding of its tip upon and alongthe outer face 4|" of the arm to generally maintain a closed conditionof the switch while the push plate is being advanced and retracted inits operative. cycle. It will be understood that, because there are nocans engaging the push plate during its return stroke, the movement ofthe arm 41 from in front. of the push pin 39 will permit the fullswitch-opening extension of the pin and so cut off the power to themotor for its stopping as the plate reaches its rearmost position. Owingto the inertia of the rotor of the motor and of the crank-shaft andconnecting rod, the motor circuit must be opened at a predetermined timeinterval before the push plate reaches its rearmost position; theadjustment of the arm 4! on the extension 42 permits any necessaryadjustment to insure this relation and action.

Since the complete rearward disposal of the push plate l9 permits theprovision of a new line of cans on the transfer plate H! to again closethe switch 38, the delivery cycle of the push plate is automaticallyrepeated until a line-at-a-time loading of the tray is completed, afterwhich the automatic succession of loading cycles must be stopped untilthe filled tray can be replaced by an empty tray. In the presentstructure, means are provided for stopping the delivery of cans upon thetransfer plate [8' at the will of the operator, and necessarily when atray has been filled. As is particularly brought out in Figs. 1 and 3and 5 to 8, a gate or stop plate t! is provided for disposal across thesupply line of cans in the plane of action of the-gate member 27 whichis carried by the push plate, the gate 47 being disposed below the gate21 which extends for only the upper part of the depth of the plate whichis notched inwardly from its'end below the gate 21 to permit anindependent operative positioning of the gate ll for all push platepositions. The present gate 41 is supported from a support plate 48fixed on the bedplate i5 rearWa-rdly of the used portion of the transferplate IE8 and below the line of travel of the gate 21, the top face ofsaid plate being shown as flush with the tops of the support blocks 24,and the plate being provided with a guide slot 49 below said line.

The present gate 41 is fixedly carried by a base member 5| from which itextends upwardly and forwardly, and the member 5! is of T section havingits head flanges 5| slidable along the top of the plate 48 while itsstem 5 i depends slidably through the slot 49 and through an underlyingslot 50 in the transfer plate I8 to a pivoted connection with therearward end of a push-and-pull rod 52. As shown, the rearward end ofthe rod 52 provides a fork 52 which receives the stem portion 5|" of thebase 5| to which it is attached by a pivot pin 53, and the rod 53 is ofrectangular section and extends forwardly from the base through asupporting guide opening 54 provided beneath the tray-supporting plateI! adjacent the shoulder 2|.

A- forward portion 52" of the rod 52 is turned outwardly beyong the edgeof the bedplate for its manual engagement as a handle to move the stopplate 41 forwardly (as in Fig. 1) to hold back the supply of cansindependently of the position of the gate 21, or be pushed back to itsinoperative position as in Fig. 3. It will be understood that the stopplate 41 may be operatively disposed by the operator independently ofthe disposal of the push plate l9, and would be so disposed while afilled tray is being replaced with an empty tray. Recalling thedesirability of having cans advancing onto the transfer plate I8 inconstant guided engagement with the working face of the push plate l9,and that the downward slope of the top face l8 of the transfer platefrom the shoulder 2| is operative to urge such a relation, means areprovided for action to further maintain the desired alignment of thecans against the push plate. As particularly shown, a plate member 56 ishingedly connected to the bedplate 16 at the shoulder2l, and is normallyheld in a limiting i upright position by means of springs 51 which areappropriately cooperative between it and the bedplate. While erect, theplate 56is operative as the forward side of a guideway for cans movingacross the transfer plate to engage the push pin 39 of the switch 38,its function being to prevent an undue buckling of the cans in theirline as they move to the position from which the push plate [9 is toshift them onto the tray bottom T, When the push plate I9 is operativelyactuated, it is arranged to push the cans against the plate 56 to swingthe latter downwardly as a ramp over which the cans may move to theirdelivered position upon the tray bottom, the ramp p1ate 56 being sorelated to the shoulder 21 that its canengaging face provides a smoothcontinuation of the upper transfer plate face.

It will now be noted that the present tray-loading unit may be manuallymanipulated if and when desired merely by rendering the motor driveinoperative by opening the motor circuit at the main switch 49, and byunhooking the connecting rod 3! from the wrist-pin 33 and swinging itback and out of the way. Having the push plate l9 disposed in itsforward position of Figure 3 whereby its gate extension 21 holds backthe cans C in the supply line thereof, a manual reciprocation of thepush plate l9 may be effected for transferring successive groups of cansC from their supply line into a tray T which is positioned on the plateI! for its loading. Having the present unit so conditioned, an operatorstandingat the front ofthe unit may grasp the handle 25 of theforwardlypositioned push plate l9 and push back said plate until it isdisposed at or beyond the plane of the rear guide plate B to permit amovement of cans longitudinally along the transfer plate. 18 until theleading can engages the arm 41* which extends forwardly from the pushplate as a stop means. The push plate may then be pulled forwardly toits original position to deliver the line of cans in front of it uponthe back portion of the tray bottom T while disposing the gate extension2'6 for its operation against the cans not shifted from the supply line.This reciprocation cycle is repeated until the tray is fully loaded,whereupon the filled tray may be replaced by an empty tray and theprocess repeated.

If the present can-traying unit is to be used solely manually, the motor34 with its electrical and mechanical connections may, of course, beentirely omittel. Also, the gate 4! is of no particular use and may alsobe omitted from a present can-traying machine which is to be actuatedsolely manually.

While the present unit has been particularly shown and described asarranged for the traying of cylindrical containers, it will beunderstood that it is equally usable for the orderly traying oflike-sized cylindrical articles generally. Also, containers trayed bythe present unit may be either open or closed at the top during theirtraying, the unit therefore being particularly valuable in the foodcanning art.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the advantages of the present article-traying unit will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art to which the inventionappertains. While I have described the principle of operation, togetherwith arrangements which I now consider to be a preferred embodimentthereof, I desire to have it understood that the showings are primarilyillustrative, and that such changes and developments may be made, when.desired, as. fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

I. In combination with a conveyor providing a supply line of articles:to be loaded upon a tray, a bed-plate. having slide-transfer andtray-supporting surfaces meeting at a common straight line and havingsaid transfer surface aligned with the delivery line of the conveyor forreceiving av line'of articles fromthe conveyor, a normally withdrawnpush member operative laterally against the positioned articles on thetransfer plate in a line parallel to said first line to slidably movethemf-rom the latter onto the bottom of a tray disposed on thetray-supporting surface, a gate member carried by the push member inrigid relation thereto and-operative directly through the supply line ofarticles to preventtheir advancement into the zone of operation of thepush member while the push member is operative, and a second gate-memberdirectly and shiftably carried by the bed-plate and operative as andindependently of the first gate.

2. In. combination with a conveyor means op erative to provide anadvancing supply line of articles tobe loaded upon a tray, a bed-plateproviding fixedly related coterminous slidetransfer and tray-supportingsurfaces and having said trans-fer surface aligned with the said line ofthe conveyor for receiving a line of articles. from the conveyor, anormally withdrawn push member operative laterally against thepositioned articles on the transfer plate in a. line parallel to saidsupply line to slidably move the articles fromv thetransfer surfacedirectly onto the bottom of a. tray disposed on the tray-supportingsurface, means for actuating said push member in working and returnstrokes thereof, an electric control circuit for said actuating meansincluding a. nor-- mally open switch, a switch-closing element directlydisplaceable by the leading article of a lineof articles upon thetransfer surface to close said switch when the line is completed wherebyto initiate an actuation of the push member, and

means on the push. member engageable with said switch-closing member tomaintain its switchclosing displacement during the subsequent workingand return movements of the push member.

3. In combination with a means operative to provide an advancing supplyline of articles to be loaded upon a tray, a bed-plate providing aslide-transfer surface receiving a line of the articles and providing atray-support laterally of said transfer surface, a normally withdrawnpush member operative laterally against the line of positioned articleson the transfer plate to slidably move the articles from the transfersurface directly onto the bottom of a tray fixedly positioned on thetray-supporting surface, an electric motor mechanically connected withsaid push member for actuating the. same in working and return strokesthereof, an electric power circuit for said motor including a normallyopen switch, a switch-closing element directly displaceable by theleading article of a completed line of articles upon the transfersurface to close said switch for energizing the motor to actuate thepush member, and means on the push member engageable with saidswitch-closing to maintain its switch-closing displacement for acontinuous period during, and solely during, the subsequent working andreturn movements of the push member.

JOHN B. ALHINO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,247,722 Rogers et al Nov. 27,1917 1,515,589 Beckmann Nov. 18, 1924 1,673,014 Morrison June 12, 19281,711,098 Kyler Apr. 30, 1929 2,024,503 Bickford Dec. 17, 1935 2,324,930Joa July 20, 1943 2,470,795 Socke- May 24, 1949

